Jeff McDonald: Spurs: Rookie learning from Duncan

[tinysands]

Spurs: Rookie learning from Duncan

Web Posted: 10/06/2007 02:09 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

Ian Mahinmi draws perhaps the toughest daily assignment of any 20-year-old rookie in any NBA camp this fall. At every Spurs practice, he has to square off against Tim Duncan.

Mahinmi, the team's top pick out of France two years ago, doesn't pretend to be winning the training-camp battle.

"I think he's a got a little, little advantage on me," Mahinmi said.

Still, the daily sessions of being dominated by Duncan are not without their value for Mahinmi, who spent last season playing in the French League.

Five days into it, Mahinmi says his first NBA training camp has been an important learning experience for him. Most of those lessons have come at the hand of Duncan, perennially one of the top players in the league.

"That's what I'm looking for," Mahinmi said. "If I go against him, I'm going to get better every day. With him as a teacher, it's good for me."

A raw talent, Mahinmi is especially trying to polish his offensive game after averaging 4.3 points in 33 French League games last year. He is still likely to begin the season with the Spurs' developmental league affiliate in Austin, though, even with significant improvement.

A fast break: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich rewarded his team's effort thus far in camp with a day off today. For a team like the Spurs, whose roster is composed of a number of 30-somethings, it's probably the most plum prize imaginable.

The most ardent proponent of the break was Duncan, who is in the middle of his 11th NBA training camp.

"It's always time for a day off," Duncan said, "especially after 10 years in the league."

Meanwhile, 37-year-old Robert Horry found a way to double his down time. He was excused from Friday's workout to tend to a bit of personal business.

Manu in midseason form: Manu Ginobili punctuated the team's five-on-five scrimmage near the end of Friday's practice by making a play fans ought to see hundreds of times at the AT&T Center this season.

He caught the ball on the right wing and up-faked a charging Kris Lang, who proceeded to land on Ginobili's shoulders with enough force to send the shooter sprawling.

Ginobili, who apparently doesn't even take a break from drawing hard fouls in training camp, went to the line and sank two free throws.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA100607.03C.BKN.Spurs.Notebook.en.320460d.html

[tinysands]

NBA: Argentine teammates wonder, 'What if?'

Web Posted: 10/05/2007 11:22 PM CDT
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News

AUSTIN — Composure under pressure: One of the traits that makes Manu Ginobili one of the Spurs' go-to players in end-game situations.

He never gets nervous.

But Ginobili admits to being plenty tense during a game on Sept. 1, only because he was not playing in it.

The Spurs guard from Bahia Blanca, Argentina, opted not to play for his national team in the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. So he watched Brazil take a 43-31 halftime lead over his national team in a game that would determine whether Argentina would qualify to defend its 2004 Olympic gold medal. Sitting at home was torture.

A loss would have meant another qualifying tournament next July, with a single remaining berth in the Olympic tournament. Committed to rejoin his team next summer, Ginobili watched with bated breath.

Ginobili's friend, Luis Scola, ended his worry by leading an Argentine rally that resulted in a 93-81 victory and a guaranteed trip to Beijing. Scola, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound power forward, finished with 27 points and was named tournament MVP.

"I was so relieved," Ginobili said, "not only because I'm not going to have to play (in a qualifier) in July, but I was also so pleased for the way they played. They were just amazing. They made me feel really proud."

"Well, he should be relieved," Scola said with a laugh after a three-hour training camp session with the Houston Rockets at the University of Texas' Cooley Center. "He should be enjoying his vacation."

Ginobili, Scola and Spurs center Fabricio Oberto have been the core of Argentina's national team for most of the past decade. Since Oberto signed on with the Spurs in the summer of 2005, the three had been awaiting a reunion in San Antonio. The Spurs held Scola's NBA rights since selecting him in the second round of the 2002 draft.

Signing Scola, though, was not as easy as negotiating a suitable contract. There was a hefty buyout clause to free him from his deal with Spanish team Tau Ceramica. Ultimately, the Spurs traded his rights to the Rockets, essentially for salary cap relief. Center Jackie Butler also went to Houston in the deal, and the Spurs bought out the contract of Greek guard Vasily Spanoulis, whom they received from the Rockets.

Both Scola and Ginobili were disappointed, but not bitter.

"Yes, of course I was disappointed," Ginobili said. "He's a great friend. I respect him a lot inside the court, too. So it kind of hurts that we had his rights and couldn't find a spot for him.

"But if you're not selfish and look at it from the outside, I think he got a better environment to develop in Houston than here, because playing the power forward, here you have got the best in the league. There, they had not so many. So I think he found a great city and a great team for him to develop. And we are not so far, so we will see each other a lot."

Scola was adamant that he bears no ill will toward the Spurs.

"No, no, no, no," he said. "And you can put that in capital letters. Eventually, I am thankful, because they gave me the chance. At the end of the day, they made the trade and gave me this opportunity to play here. I couldn't be here if they didn't trade me. So I'm thankful to them, definitely not angry."

Scola will, however, wonder what could have been in San Antonio.

"Obviously, I would have loved to play with Manu," he said. "He's my friend. But we will have a chance to play again on the national team. But playing with Duncan, Fabricio, Tony Parker, and be part of all those rings they won would have been just unbelievable for me."

Playing behind Duncan, Scola said, would have been no problem.

"If I could have played the 10 minutes he would have left me it would have been just lovely," Scola said. "I just can't imagine how much I could have learned playing day by day beside him and defending him in practice every day."

Now Scola is competing for the Rockets' starting power forward spot with Chuck Hayes and looks forward to playing on the front line with Yao Ming. His new coach, Rick Adelman, loves his competitiveness and passing skill. And Tracy McGrady, the Rockets' offensive leader, made him a promise.

"If he gives the ball to me, don't go away from me," McGrady said. "Come set a screen and roll. I told him, 'I'll get you the easiest basket you've ever had in your life.'"

Whether McGrady can set up Scola as well as Ginobili would have will be a matter of conjecture debated for years, both in San Antonio and Argentina.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA100607.01C.Rockets.Scola.en.36058b2.html

[buking]

any photo??

[Sense]

I think it's great that Mahinmi is learning from Tim...

thats what the kid needs....

[Obstructed_View]

In spite of the Houston dicks who have been here or will be here later, its hard not to really root for Scola. I don't think he would have been a perfect fit, but I'd have liked to see him in a Spurs uni.

[Bruno]

I don't know if Mahinmi will be one day a good nba player but he is for sure working in a good environment to improve his game.

I hope that people will now stop believing that Scola was pissed against Spurs.
Last summer, it was his European agent, who was pissed, not Scola.

[Obstructed_View]

Good point. If anyone wants to throw some venom around because Scola's not a Spur, it's probably that agent that deserves much of it.

[Mister Sinister]

Good point. If anyone wants to throw some venom around because Scola's not a Spur, it's probably that agent that deserves much of it.
I'd rather throw some Carnage around instead. All Spidey references aside, I hope things work out for Scola, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better teacher than Mahinmi than Timmy.

[Summers]

"I think he's a got a little, little advantage on me," Mahinmi said.



:lol I like this kid.

[Cry Havoc]

:lol I like this kid.

Apparently he's learning his sense of humor from Tim, too.

[duncan228]

Could you get a better teacher?
Damn. Nothing like learning at the side of the league's best.

I hope he's a sponge and soaks up everything he can.
It could serve him well for a long time.

[JamStone]

With hard work, Mahinmi could be even better than Samaki Walker.

[nfg3]

This can only be good for Ian. Learning from TD will be a tremendous help down the road. And a sense of humor will help ease the pain of being smacked around by TD. Now he needs to beef up to play the post IMO.

Question - Does DRob help with the player's development or not? I would think that he would be a natural for this but he may be too involved with his foundation and others things to do this. Just wondering.

[picnroll]

It will be interesting to see how well he can hang in the pre-season games.

[TDMVPDPOY]

question, does he hang around beno

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

question, does he hang around beno
He hasn't broken anything, and he hasn't had any parties, and I don't think he has a purse so my guess is no and thank the Lord. If I were Ian I would not be around Beno AT ALL.

[ChumpDumper]

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a purse, but that can't be pinned on Beno.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a purse, but that can't be pinned on Beno.
It can't be it will be by like 94.9% of the members.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

this year it's Beno Time to go
fixed

[ShoogarBear]

Kris LangClang! is in the Spurs training camp?

:rollin

[ChumpDumper]

Yeah, injuring our stars in scrimmages. :madrun

[SenorSpur]

If this kid learns at least 1 or 2 post moves from TD or even mimics TD's footwork, he could turn into a functional NBA player.

[ShoogarBear]

Yeah, injuring our stars in scrimmages. :madrunCIA Dennis.

[Bruno]

Could you get a better teacher?
Damn. Nothing like learning at the side of the league's best.

I hope he's a sponge and soaks up everything he can.
It could serve him well for a long time.

His nickname in France was "the sponge". :)

[ShoogarBear]

His nickname in France was "the sponge". :)Not exactly the nick you want for a big man. :lol

[ChumpDumper]

His nickname in France was "the sponge". :)
http://members.aol.com/lilladyballa341/images/spongebob%20basketball.jpg

[Bruno]

:lol

[ChumpDumper]

Though I don't know why he would need a sweatband.

[Obstructed_View]

Though I don't know why he would need a sweatband.
:lol I clicked out of the thread and this post registered with me like three seconds later. It was worth coming back to thank you for.

[clubalien]

TD is good because he learned from David. It is nice to see our traditio we have here of hall of fame big man is continueing

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

TD is good because he learned from David. It is nice to see our traditio we have here of hall of fame big man is continueing
:clap

[daslicer]

I think its great Duncan is mentoring him but I don't think he can pick up many post up moves from Duncan considering the kid just isn't strong enough to back guys in the post. He has the body more of a KG like player. I don't think he will ever be an inside player that can bang down low. TD can teach him a few post moves but not many. TD howerver will teach him how to be mentally tough and how to be prepared to play the games. I think Drob could teach this kid more stuff since he's more in the athlethic mold like Drob was as a player

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

True.